Fragile article supporting tray



g- 14, 1956 w. P. FRANKENSTEIN 2,758,709

FRAGILE ARTICLE SUPPORTING TRAY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 5, 1952 INV EN TOR. \AllLLmm P Fgnrvxsnsrem, W

Atzoipej United States Patent FRAGILE ARTICLE SUPPORTING TRAY William P. Frankenstein, Cincinnati, Ohio Application April 5, 1952, Serial No. 280,798

7 Claims. (Cl. 206-4519) This invention relates to improvements in a device or tray for packing, shipping and displaying fragile articles, such as hollow articles exemplified in tumblers or drinking glasses.

The present invention discloses improvements in the structure disclosed in applicants pending application Serial No..724,543 filed January 27, 1947, entitled Carton, now Patent No. 2,593,430.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a fragile article support or tray which is of relatively simple construction and may be more readily set up and used than structures heretofore known and employed.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a fragile article supporting and positioning tray that may be employed with an enclosing carton and in which the said fragile articles can be more readily positioned and without having to first set up and arrange the tray preparatory to receiving the said fragile articles.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a fragile article receiving and positioning tray which may be shipped in knocked-down condition, readily set up for use and inserted in an enclosing carton which retains the tray in its set up position without further attention by the operator or user and which set up tray can then have the fragile articles immediately placed therein or thereon.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention should be readily apparent by reference to the following specification considered in conjunction with the acconipanying drawings forming a part thereof and it is to be understood that any modifications may be made in the exact structural details there shown and described, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from or exceeding the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is an extended plan view of a blank from which the fragile article supporting and positioning tray of the present invention may be formed.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the blank of Fig. 1 in its knocked-down position as would be seen from line 2-2 on said Fig. 1 after the blank has been completed.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a set up tray from the blank of Fig. 1 when in its knocked-down position as in Fig. 2, with certain portions removed for clearness in illustration.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through the erected tray as seen from line 4-4 on Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the set up or erected tray as seen from line 55 on Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view of the set up tray as arranged in an enclosing box or carton with a fragile article mounted therein.

Throughout the several views of the drawings similar reference characters are employed to denote the same or similar parts.

As was noted above this invention relates to a fragile article supporting and positioning tray to be employed with an enclosing box or carton. The tray is illustrated in the drawings as arranged to have mounted therein four articles but it is to be understood that the tray may be made to a size for supporting a single article or any number of articles Within reason and depending upon the size of the article. The tray is formed of suitable foldable material such as paper or cardboard but may be produced from any foldable material such as some of the newer, so called, plastics or the like.

The tray of the present invention when formed of card or paper board material has substantially the rectangular outline of Fig. 1 and wherein the blank is provided with a plurality of score or fold lines 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 each extending from one edge to the other of the blank transversely thereof. The said score or fold lines provide in the blank between themselves and between the upper and lower ends of the blank, as seen in Fig. 1, a plurality of panels 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26.

In the erected tray the panel 21 constitutes the bottom and has upwardly extending therefrom the panels 20 and 22 which, for the purposes of description may be called the lower side wall and upper side wall. The height of said side walls are illustrated in the drawings as dissimilar but this is not a. controlling limitation since if the fragile article to be positioned and shipped therein had straight sides the said tray side walls may be of similar dimensions or their relative widths reversed from that illustrated in the drawings.

The panel 19 may be considered as the top panel or the means which supplies spacing means for the fragile articles. As illustrated in the drawings the panels 19 and 21 are of substantially the same areas except for what little additional material the top panel may require due to its inclination from the upper end of the bottom side wall or panel 20 to the upper end of the top side wall or panel 22 when the tray is erected as illustrated in Figs. 3, 5 and 6. Extending from the upper side of'the top panel 19 are flaps 27, each integrally hingedly connected with the adjacent edge of the panel 18 through the hinge score or fold line 10. Each of the flaps 27 is transversely divided by a score or fold line 28 thereby providing in each flap 27 panels 29 and 31). The sides of each flap 29 is defined by a cut line 31 and 32 which diverge from one another from the score or fold line 10. The said diverging cut lines 31 and 32 extend substantially across the panel 19 but stop short of the score or fold line 11 forming the bottom side of the top panel 19. As a matter of fact the length of the cut lines 31 and 32 would be determined by the length of the article being supported and positioned by the tray. The portion of the top panel between each pair of cut lines 31 and 32, below its flap 27 forms a tongue 33 adapted to enter the interior of the hollow fragile article for retaining it. Theadjacent ends of each flap 27 and its opposed tongue 33 are provided by a out line 34 which extends between the cut lines 31 and 32. This cut line 34 may take any suitable or desirable contour, that shown in the drawings being arcuate for thereby providing a relatively small end or point 35 on the tongue 33, the purpose for which will subsequently be made clear.

As noted above each tongue 33, through the cut lines 31 and 32, is adapted to enter the hollow interior of a fragile article, a tumbler for example, and it should be noted that the said cut lines 31 and 32 provide in the panel 19 an opening substantially conforming to the outline or exterior contour of the article being supported and positioned. Since the said fragile articles, for example a tumbler, is circular in cross section the tongue 33 will be arched while acting as an impingement for the article, and to assist the said tongue to accommodate itself it is provided longitudinally thereof with a plurality of weakened or score lines 36. It will be noted that two of said score lines 36 substantially parallels the out lines 31 and 32 and each or said out lines has relatively closely adjacent'tnereto a score line 36 for thereby providing flaps longitudinally of the tongue and which flaps are severed from the top panel 19 by outlines 37 and 33 which respectively join the lower ends of its score or fold line 3 6 and the adjacent cut line 31 or 32. V i

The ends of the top panel 19 are defined by score or fold lines 39 and 40 which respectively integrally, hin edly connect with the said top panel 19 flanges or top panel end walls 41 and 42. The flanges 41 and 42 are somewhat triangularly shaped with their opposite ends correspond-ing in height to the height of the adjacent panel 20 or 22. The 'flanges 41 and 42 in the erected carton act as end supports for the said top panel. The panel 18, as will later be made clear, is an auxiliary upper side wall and depends from the top panel 19 for locking the tray in erected position relative to the enclosing box or carton.

In the erected carton the panels 23, 24 and 25 cooperate with the panel 22 in forming the tray lower side wall and in providing a shoulder longitudinally of said wall for supporting one end of the fragile article mounted in the tray. The said shoulder forming panels are retained in their operative position by the .panel 26 which in effect constitutes a glue flap. For this reason the glue flap or panel 26 has applied thereto adhesive 43 after the blank has been cut and scored as illustrated in Fig. 1.

The blank of Fig. 1, after being cut and scored as illustrated in Fig. l, and after having had adhesive 43 applied to the panel or glue flap 26, has the port-ion thereof below the score or fold line 14 downwardly bent or folded to bring the adhesive '43 into contact with the undersurface, as seen in Fig. 1, of the tray bottom or panel 21. The portion of the blank upwardly of the score or fold line 1-2 is likewise downwardly folded to bring the said portion of thewblank into engagement with the underside of the tray bottom or panel 21. The blank is now in the knocked-down or folded position of Fig. 2 and is adapted in this condition to be shipped to the user.

The user upon desiring to set up the tray does so by upwardly lifting the tray upper side wall or panel 22, which action causes the panel 25 to upstand from the tray bottom along a line inwardly of the upper side of the tray bottom as determined by the width of panel 24, which now extends parallel with the said tray bottom but upwardly thereof. At the same time the panel 23 is in face contact with the upper portion of the tray upper side wall 22,.and depending from the top thereof. The lower side wallor panel 20 is now raised to be normal to the bottom panel'whereupon the top panel 19 is folded to extend toward the tray upper side wall and to have the panel or flap 18 bent or folded downwardly behind the said tray upper side wall or panel 22. The top panel supporting end flanges 41 and 42 are then bent to depend from the ends of the said top panel to the tray bottom panel. The tray is now in its erected position as illustrated in Figs. 3,-4 and 5.

The tray is now disposed in a suitable enclosing box or car-ton which, since it forms no part of the present inven tion, may be of any suitable or desirable construction. The box or carton, as illustrated in Fig. 6, essentially ineludes a bottom 44 from which upstands side walls 45 and 46-.and joining end walls, one of which is illustrated and indicated :by the reference numeral 47. As illustrated in Fig. 6,. the tray in its erected condition is substantially of the same width as that of the box or carton andextends from side wall 45 to side wall 46 and extends substant-ially', from end wall to end wall 47, as will be wellunderstood. In placing the tray-within the box or carton the "retaining end panel 18 is disposed between the tray upper side wall or panel 22 and the adjacent carton side wall, side wall 45 for example, thereby locking the tray in its erected position Within the box or carton. The tray is now ready to have placed therein the fragile articles such for example as the tumbler or drinking glass 48 illustrated in "phantom lines in Fig. '6.

The user in inserting or placing the fragile articles in the tray will force the open upper end of the article, tumbler or drinking glass 48, against the flap 27 thereby downwardly displacing the said flap and exposing the end 35 of the tongue 33. By pushing the fragile article longitudinally or axially of the tongue, the tongue is caused to enter the hollow interior of the article until the said upper end of the article is at the joined end of the tongue or until the open upper end of the article engages the shoulders, laterally of the joined end of the tongue, as provided by the cuts 37 and 38. During this movement of the fragile article relative to the tongue the said tongue was arched on the several score lines 36 extending longitudinally thereof with said tongue urging and forcing the article into the aperture resulting from the cutting of the tongue sides. When the article is properly positioned on the tongue, that is, when the article open end 'is at the shoulders, the closed end or bottor'n'of the article 'is'ddwhwardly pushed against the flap 29. This causes the nap to be downwardly bent on the score or fold line '10 but such movement is resisted by the tray shoulder or panel 24 whereupon the flap 29 bends on its score or fold line 28 causing the panel 29 of said flap to come into face contact with the vertically disposed panel 23 and the flap panel 30 to seat on the shoulder or panel 24, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 6. The package is now ready to be closed by any type or form of closure or wrapper for shipment and ultimate display purposes.

From the foregoing it will be noted that the tray is provided with a bottom to have upstanding from two of its parallel side walls, which, respectively, have projecting from its upper end means for positioning the opposite ends of the fragile article relative to one another and for supporting said ends. This means, in the case of the lower side wall, includes the tongue 33 which upon being inserted into the interior of the fragile article fully and completely restrains the said open end from lateral displacement. The said means from the top side wall including the portion of the top panel on each side of the flaps 27 which confine and completely restrain-any movement of the said fragile article closed end laterally of itself. At the same time the tongue through the portion thereof which connects it with the bottom side wall supports the upper or open end of the fragile article, while the shoulder, integral with the upper side wall, engages and supports the bottom or closed end of the fragile article. It should further be noted that the operation of inserting a hollow fragile article on a tongue 33 and disposing the bottom or closed end of the article on 'the seat or shoulder is a simple and fast ope-ration wherefore a fragile article positioning and supporting tray that is economical to produce and simple to use has'been provided.

What is claimed is:

1. A fragile article positioning and supporting tray formed from a single blank comprising a bottom, upstanding walls from the two opposed edges of the bottom, a plurality of tongues projecting from :the upper end of one of said walls toward the opposite wall but stopping short of each of said opposite walls, said tongues having lengthand breadth conforming. substantially to and received in the interior of the article supported thereby for positioning the said=article from one end thereof, said opposite wall being formed, at-least-in part, of spaced apart vertically parallel portions of an inner and an outer wall member, a shoulder from the upper end of said inner wall member portion extending between said spaced apart inner wall member portion and the :outer wall member and located at a point upwardly of the tray bottom but below the upper end of the outer wall member receiving and supporting the other endsof the articles, and means projecting from said opposite wall outer wall member flanking articles on the shoulder of the inner wall nie'nrber for confining and positioning the ends of the articles on the shoulder.

2. A fragile article positioning and supporting tray formed from a single blank comprising a bottom, upstanding walls at opposite ends of said bottom, a plurality of tongues carried by and projecting from the upper end of one of said walls, a continuous shoulder longitudinally and for the full length of said opposite wall, said shoulder disposed intermediate the height of said wall, and means projecting from said opposite wall flanking said tongues so that said tongues and flanking means laterally position a fragile article on each of said tongues and shoulder.

3. A fragile article positioning and supporting tray formed from a single blank comprising a bottom, extensions from opposite edges of said bottom, one extension including a plurality of panels terminating in a glue flap with said panels folded relative to one another to form a first side wall longitudinally of the bottom and said wall including a shoulder extending longitudinally thereof intermediate its height secured in position by the glue flap adhesively secured to the bottom, said other extension including a panel forming a second side wall longitudinally of the bottom panel, and a tongue projecting from said second side wall panel toward the shoulder adapted to be received in a hollow fragile article for supporting same with said fragile article supported by its other end on the shoulder.

4. A fragile article positioning and supporting tray formed from a single blank comprising a bottom, extensions from opposite edges of said bottom, one extension including a plurality of panels terminating in a glue flap with said panels folded relative to one another to form a first side wall longitudinally of the bottom and said wall including a shoulder extending longitudinally thereof intermediate its height secured in position by the glue flap adhesively secured to the bottom, and said other extension including panels one of which forms a second side wall upstanding from the bottom panel and another of which panels forms a top for the tray, said tray top having formed therein spaced cuts substantially to the outline of the fragile article to be supported, said cuts providing a tongue integral with and projecting from the second side wall toward the first side wall but stopping short of said first side wall, said tongue being adapted to be received Within the fragile article for supporting and positioning same while its other end is supported by the first side wall shoulder.

5. A fragile article positioning and supporting tray formed from a single blank comprising a bottom, extensions from opposite edges of said bottom, one extension including a plurality of panels terminating in a glue flap with said panels folded relative to one another to form a first side wall longitudinally of the bottom and said wall including a shoulder extending longitudinally thereof intermediate its height secured in position by the glue flap adhesively secured to the bottom, and said other extension including panels one of which forms a second side wall upstanding from the bottom panel and another of which panels forms a top for the tray, said tray top having formed therein spaced cuts substantially to the outline of the fragile article to be supported, said cuts providing a tongue integral with and projecting from the second side wall toward the first side wall but stopping short of said first side wall, said tongue being adapted to be received within the fragile article for supporting and positioning same while its other end is supported by the first side wall shoulder, and a flap depending from the tray top in face contact with the outer surface of the first side wall.

6. A fragile article positioning and supporting tray formed from a single blank comprising a bottom, extensions from opposite edges of said bottom, one extension including a plurality of panels terminating in a glue flap with said panels folded relative to one another to form a first side wall longitudinally of the bottom and said wall including a shoulder extending longitudinally thereof intermediate its height secured in position by the glue fiap adhesively secured to the bottom, and said other extension including panels one of which forms a second side wall upstanding from the bottom panel and another of which panels forms a top for the tray, said tray top having formed therein spaced cuts substantially to the outline of the fragile article to be supported, said cuts providing a tongue integral with and projecting from the second side wall toward the first side wall but stopping short of said first side wall, said tongue being adapted to be received within the fragile article for supporting and positioning same while its other end is supported by the first side wall shoulder, a flap depending from the tray top in face contact with the outer surface of the first side wall, and end flaps depending from the ends of the top panel.

7. A fragile article positioning and supporting tray formed from a single blank comprising a bottom, extensions from opposite edges of said bottom, one exten sion including a plurality of panels terminating in a glue flap with said panels folded relative to one another to form a first side wall longitudinally of the bottom and said walls including a shoulder extending longitudinally thereof intermediate its height secured in position by the glue flap adhesively secured to the bottom, and said other extension including panels one of which forms a second side Wall upstanding from the bottom panel and another of which panels forms a top for the tray, said tray top having formed therein spaced cuts substantially to the outline of the fragile article to be supported, said cuts providing a tongue integral with an projecting from the second side wall toward the first side Wall but stop ping short of said first side wall, said tongue being adapted to be received within the fragile article for supporting and positioning same while its other end is sup ported by the first side wall shoulder, and a flap project ing from said first wall in axial alignment with the tongue displaceable by the fragile article and position able therewith on the first wall supporting shoulder.

References Cited in the fileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,351,740 Boyd Sept. 7, 1920 2,511,569 Davis June 13, 1950 2,593,430 Frankenstein Apr. 22, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 540,280 Great Britain Oct. 10, 1941 

